Romeo and Juliet (Wisehouse Classics Edition). William Shakespeare

for then we should be colliers.SampsonI mean, an we be in choler, we’ll draw.GregoryAy, while you live, draw your neck out o’ the collar.SampsonI strike quickly, being moved.GregoryBut thou art not quickly moved to strike.SampsonA dog of the house of Montague moves me.GregoryTo move is to stir; and to be valiant is to stand: therefore, if

	thou art moved, thou runn’st away.
Sampson	A dog of that house shall move me to stand: I will take the wall of any man or maid of Montague’s.
Gregory	That shows thee a weak slave; for the weakest goes to the wall.
Sampson	True; and therefore women, being the weaker vessels, are ever thrust to the wall: therefore I will push Montague’s men from the wall, and thrust his maids to the wall.
Gregory	The quarrel is between our masters and us their men.
Sampson	’Tis all one, I will show myself a tyrant: when I have fought with the men, I will be cruel with the maids, and cut off their heads.
Gregory	The heads of the maids?
Sampson	Ay, the heads of the maids, or their maidenheads; take it in what sense thou wilt.
Gregory	They must take it in sense that feel it.
Sampson	Me they shall feel while I am able to stand: and ’tis known I am a pretty piece of flesh.
Gregory	’Tis well thou art not fish; if thou hadst, thou hadst been poor John. Draw thy tool! here comes two of the house of the Montagues.
Sampson	My naked weapon is out: quarrel, I will back thee.
Gregory	How! turn thy back and run?
Sampson	Fear me not.
Gregory	No, marry; I fear thee!
Sampson	Let us take the law of our sides; let them begin.
Gregory	I will frown as I pass by, and let them take it as they list.
Sampson	Nay, as they dare. I will bite my thumb at them; which is a disgrace to them, if they bear it.
Enter Abraham and Balthasar
Abraham	Do you bite your thumb at us, sir?
Sampson	I do bite my thumb, sir.
Abraham	Do you bite your thumb at us, sir?
Sampson	[Aside to Gregory] Is the law of our side, if I say ay?
Gregory	No.
Sampson	No, sir, I do not bite my thumb at you, sir, but I bite my thumb, sir.

Gregory	Do you quarrel, sir?
Abraham	Quarrel sir! no, sir.
Sampson	If you do, sir, I am for you: I serve as good a man as you.
Abraham	No better.
Sampson	Well, sir.
Gregory	Say ‘better:’ here comes one of my master’s kinsmen.
Sampson	Yes, better, sir.
Abraham	You lie.
Sampson	Draw, if you be men. Gregory, remember thy swashing blow.
They fight
Enter Benvolio
Benvolio	Part, fools!
	Put up your swords; you know not what you do.
Beats down their swords
Enter Tybalt
Tybalt	What, art thou drawn among these heartless hinds?
	Turn thee, Benvolio, look upon thy death.
Benvolio	I do but keep the peace: put up thy sword,
	Or manage it to part these men with me.
Tybalt	What, drawn, and talk of peace! I hate the word,
	As I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee:
	Have at thee, coward!
They fight
Enter, several of both houses, who join the fray; then enter Citizens, with clubs
First Citizen	Clubs, bills, and partisans! strike! beat them down!
	Down with the Capulets! down with the Montagues!
Enter Capulet in	! his gown, and Lady Capulet
Capulet	What noise is this? Give me my long sword, ho!
Lady Capulet	A crutch, a crutch! why call you for a sword?
Capulet	My sword, I say! Old Montague is come,
	And flourishes his blade in spite of me.
Enter Montague and Lady Montague
Montague	Thou villain Capulet — Hold me not, let me go.
Lady Montague	Thou shalt not stir a foot to seek a foe.

Enter Prince, with Attendants
Prince	Rebellious subjects, enemies to peace,
	Profaners of this neighbour-stained steel —
	Will they not hear? What, ho! you men, you beasts,
	That quench the fire of your pernicious rage
	With purple fountains issuing from your veins,
	On pain of torture, from those bloody hands
	Throw your mistemper’d weapons to the ground,
	And hear the sentence of your moved prince.
	Three civil brawls, bred of an airy word,
	By thee, old Capulet, and Montague,
	Have thrice disturb’d the quiet of our streets,
	And made Verona’s ancient citizens
	Cast by their grave beseeming ornaments,
	To wield old partisans, in hands as old,
	Canker’d with peace, to part your canker’d hate:
	If ever you disturb our streets again,
	Your lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace.
	For this time, all the rest depart away:
	You Capulet; shall go along with me:
	And, Montague, come you this afternoon,
	To know our further pleasure in this case,
	To old Free-town, our common judgment-place.
	Once more, on pain of death, all men depart.
Exeunt all but Montague, Lady Montague, and Benvolio
Montague	Who set this ancient quarrel new abroach?
	Speak, nephew, were you by when it began?
Benvolio	Here were the servants of your adversary,
	And yours, close fighting ere I did approach:
	I drew to part them: in the instant came
	The fiery Tybalt, with his sword prepared,
	Which, as he breathed defiance to my ears,
	He swung about his head and cut the winds,
	Who nothing hurt withal hiss’d him in scorn:
	While we were interchanging thrusts and blows,
	Came more and more and fought on part and part,
	Till the prince came, who parted either part.
Lady Montague	O, where is Romeo? saw you him to-day?
	Right glad I am he was not at this fray.
Benvolio	Madam, an hour before the worshipp’d sun

	Peer’d forth the golden window of the east,A troubled mind drave me to walk abroad;Where, underneath the grove of sycamoreThat westward rooteth from the city’s side,So early walking did I see your son:Towards him I made, but he was ware of meAnd stole into the covert of the wood:I, measuring his affections by my own,That most are busied when they’re most alone,Pursued my humour not pursuing his,And gladly shunn’d who gladly fled from me.
Montague	Many a morning hath he there been seen,
	With tears augmenting the fresh morning dew.Adding to clouds more clouds with his deep sighs;But all so soon as the all-cheering sunShould in the furthest east begin to drawThe shady curtains from Aurora’s bed,Away from the light steals home my heavy son,And private in his chamber pens himself,Shuts up his windows, locks far daylight outAnd makes himself an artificial night:Black and portentous must this humour prove,Unless good counsel may the cause remove.
Benvolio	My noble uncle, do you know the cause?
Montague	I neither know it nor can learn of him.
Benvolio	Have you importuned him by any means?
Montague	Both by myself and many other friends:
	But he, his own affections’ counsellor,Is to himself — I will not say how true —But to himself so secret and so close,So far from sounding and discovery,As is the bud bit with an envious worm,Ere he can spread his sweet leaves to the air,Or dedicate his beauty to the sun.Could we but learn from whence his sorrows grow.We would as willingly give cure as know.
Enter Romeo
Benvolio	See, where he comes: so please you, step aside;
	I’ll know his grievance, or be much denied.
Montague	I would thou wert so happy by thy stay,

	To hear true shrift. Come, madam, let’s away.
Exeunt